


A Practical Person

by MotherRameses



Category: Star Wars: Thrawn Ascendancy Trilogy - Timothy Zahn, Star Wars: Thrawn Series - Timothy Zahn (2017)
Genre: Chaos Rising Spoilers, F/M, Kissing, Missing Scene, Oral Sex, Penetrative Sex, SMUT!, Thrass is so done with his brother, Thrawn can't cook (yet), What happened after the dojo scene, great sex imo, he's trying his best, i love these two so much
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-14
Updated: 2020-09-22
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:07:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,405
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26456920
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MotherRameses/pseuds/MotherRameses
Summary: This evening certainly had not gone as Ziara had anticipated. No dinner, no drinks, though she supposed the art gallery could count as a show. And despite the trip back to the dormitories and sparring session being her own idea, it was fair to say the evening had been full of surprises.Idly, she wondered if the fleeting thoughts she’d had about how the evening would end were even still in the cards.
Relationships: Ar’alani/Thrawn, Irizi'ar'alani/Mitth'raw'nuru, Thrass | Mitth'ras'safis & Thrawn | Mitth'raw'nuruodo
Comments: 26
Kudos: 54





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Revakah](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Revakah/gifts), [chaos_monkey](https://archiveofourown.org/users/chaos_monkey/gifts).



> Is this an endgame ship for me? No. Do I think it's cute as hell? Yes. More thoughts on this ship in the end notes!

As Ziara led the way out of the dojo, Thrawn a few steps behind her, she took a moment to consider her options. 

This evening certainly had not gone as she had anticipated. No dinner, no drinks, though she supposed the art gallery could count as a show. And despite the trip back to the dormitories and sparring session being her own idea, it was fair to say the evening had been full of surprises. Idly, she wondered if the fleeting thoughts she’d had earlier about how the evening would _end_ were even still in the cards. She hadn’t devoted too much time to the idea of Thrawn spending the night-- the nature of Thrawn’s invitation had sparked the thought, as such evenings with others had ended that way in the past. But while she was open to the idea, Ziara hadn’t known Thrawn well enough at the time to decide if he was worth such pursuit.

Their time together had changed that. She’d actually had _fun_ , despite her earlier trepidation at the gallery. It was fascinating to listen to Thrawn’s explanation of the art pieces, satisfying to engage him in discussion and his train of logic, even if she herself couldn’t see the indicators he was following. 

And she would be lying to herself if she hadn’t appreciated the sight of him stripping off his tunic as they prepared to spar. It had been a shame he kept the undershirt on. 

Ziara chewed over her options as they made their way down the halls to the lifts. She was pretty sure Thrawn had not intended this to be an actual date, despite appearances. Should she simply bid him goodnight, and avoid any potential awkwardness from a denied invitation back to her quarters? Would Thrawn even _realize_ what that sort of invitation entailed?

“You are quiet,” Thrawn’s voice interrupted her thoughts.

“Hm?” Ziara said, starting a little, and doing her best to ignore the prickle of embarrassment in her gut. Thrawn could read _art_ , not minds. “Just thinking,” she added after a moment, realizing he was waiting for an explanation. 

“About?”

Ziara opened her mouth then quickly closed it, at a loss for words. What could she say? Then, her stomach gave another little prickle, and she had an idea. “Food,” she said quickly. “Have you eaten?”

“Today?” Thrawn asked, and Ziara rolled her eyes.

“Dinner,” she amended. “I didn’t, because I assumed we would be going somewhere other than an art gallery. Not that it wasn’t fun,” she added hastily, noticing Thrawn’s slight frown.

“I haven’t eaten since lunch,” Thrawn said slowly. “I seem to have forgotten dinner.”

“Do you forget dinner often?” Ziara asked, arching a brow at him as they came upon the lifts. 

Thrawn shrugged. “Sometimes.”

Ziara snorted. “Well, I’m starving. Want to come up? The mess is closed by now.”

She held her breath as Thrawn considered her offer. He seemed to be taking an awfully long time to decide, and she cursed herself for being so obvious. She should have just said goodnight and--

“I don’t wish to impose,” Thrawn said quietly. “It hardly seems fair to eat your food when I miscommunicated my plan for the evening.”

“Nonsense,” Ziara said briskly. “Nothing you said implied dinner. At least, I realize that now that I know you a little better,” she teased. “You covered the entry fee for the gallery. I’d be happy to whip us up something, if you want,” she hedged carefully.

To her relief, Thrawn smiled. “Alright,” he said. “Thank you.”

* * *

Dinner took longer to prepare than Ziara anticipated, mostly due to the fact that Thrawn had offered to help and turned out to be a disaster in the kitchen. 

“I’m sorry,” Thrawn apologized again as Ziara shooed him away from the stove, slamming a lid down on top of the pan of oil he’d set ablaze. “I didn’t--”

“You’re in charge of cutlery, plates, and uncorking the wine,” Ziara said, cutting him off with a laugh. “And go turn on the fan in the ‘fresher. It’ll help clear out the smoke.”

“Right,” Thrawn said awkwardly, hurrying away. Ziara watched him go, chuckling again at the obvious droop in his shoulders. Politics and cooking, the two things Thrawn apparently didn’t understand. 

With Thrawn out of the way, cooking went much faster, and soon they sat on her small sectional, each cradling a glass of wine and a steaming plate of fried _g’ezi’ttin’t._ Despite the mishap with the oil, Thrawn had done a good job of slicing the rotund vegetable into even pieces, and Ziara hummed happily as she tucked into her food.

“My father says this is a secret Irizi family recipe,” Ziara said between mouthfuls, noting that Thrawn was practically inhaling his own plate. “But I found an exact copy of it in an old cooking holo in the library.”

“Why would he say that?” Thrawn asked, frowning. Ziara snorted.

“Pride. It _is_ pretty good,” she said, tossing one of her own slices onto Thrawn’s plate. 

Thrawn nodded in thanks, staring at his plate thoughtfully. “You wouldn’t say something like that,” he mused.

Ziara shrugged. “My father is a Syndic. I’m not cut out for that sort of life.”

Thrawn glanced over at her wire sculpts. “I suppose not,” he agreed. He turned back to her, eyes strangely bright. “What will they think when you give up your family name?”

Ziara nearly choked on her sip of wine. “I’m sorry?” She asked, confused.

“You clearly will achieve flag rank,” Thrawn said. “Barring some unforeseen circumstance.”

Ziara frowned. “That’s quite a ways into the future,” she said, stunned at the surety in Thrawn’s statement. “Many things could change by then. Including my family’s opinion of me.”

“Perhaps,” Thrawn said with a small shrug. “Hopefully theirs won’t be so changeable as my own family’s opinions,” he added.

“Your rep should have been there,” Ziara said, feeling a curl of anger as she remembered the lack of Mitth presence at Thrawn’s hearing and setting her empty plate down on the low table with a little more force than necessary. “They shouldn’t have hung you out to dry like that.”

Thrawn didn’t say anything, so Ziara went on. “They say you don’t have the head for politics,” she said, tone gentle, not wanting Thrawn to feel insulted. 

Thankfully Thrawn smiled, if a bit grimly. He took his time setting his own plate down, seeming to consider his words carefully. “No, I don’t believe I do,” he agreed after a moment. “But even though I can’t seem to predict _why_ my family picks and chooses times to support me, that doesn’t mean I don’t notice it when said support is lacking.”

Ziara shook her head. “It’s unfair,” she said, again a little more fiercely than she intended. Spending the evening with Thrawn, seeing how his mind worked and enjoying how refreshingly easy it was to speak with him seemed to have made her a little protective. “I’m sorry for bringing up my own family,” she added softly.

Thrawn shrugged again. “I do know that our families are rivals,” he said. “I hope I won’t cause you any problems, being seen in an informal situation with you.”

Ziara laughed. “The last time my father confronted me about who I dated, I ruined his favorite lounge-tunic,” she said, swirling her glass of deep purple wine pointedly. “He hasn’t brought up such things since.”

To her surprise, Thrawn frowned. “Dated? I-- That’s not what I meant,” he said quickly, words and tone noticeably clipped.

Ziara cocked her head, studying him. While it had become clear to her that a date hadn’t been Thrawn’s intention tonight, surely he realized how it appeared? Then again, if Thrawn’s lack of political awareness came from a lack of social awareness, maybe he _didn’t_ realize that. But the uncertain tone in his voice… Hm. Ziara decided to press him a bit.

“Would it bother you if it was a date?” Ziara asked, doing her best to hide her blatant curiosity.

Thrawn looked at her, surprise written on his face. “I... No,” he said after a long moment. “I hadn’t considered that, but… No.”

Ziara gave him a wry smile. “Good,” she said. “I’d hate to think you didn’t enjoy yourself. I did cook us dinner, after all.”

“That is an unfair conclusion,” Thrawn protested, and Ziara laughed again, holding up a hand.

“I know, I know,” she said, rolling her eyes and taking a sip of wine. “Just teasing. I had fun; certainly one of the better dates I’ve been on.”

Thrawn didn’t reply, merely huffing out a chuckle and turning his gaze yet again to Ziara’s wire sculpts. She eyed him for a moment, then rose to take their empty plates back to the kitchen. She could tell Thrawn had been knocked off kilter from the idea of the evening being more than what he’d anticipated, considering how quickly he turned to her art and any answers in may hold. She wanted to give him a little room to breathe. Even if he was open to the idea of it being a date, that didn’t mean he _wanted_ to consider it one, and… Well. She’d let him decide. 

She took her time cleaning up the kitchen, washing and putting away everything before finally returning to the couch. Thrawn glanced at her as she sat, curling up comfortably against one arm and propping her legs on the low table in front of them. “Learn anything new in there?” She asked, gesturing to her wire sculpts with her wine glass.

“Possibly,” Thrawn said, voice carefully measured. “You said you are a practical person, and I would like to test a theory.”

“You’ve been right before,” Ziara said, ignoring the flutter in her stomach. She had an idea where this was going… “Go ahead.”

Ziara watched as Thrawn set his glass down on the table, then deliberately turned to face her. “Your art,” he said, nodding to the shelves behind him. “The way you layer--”

“No,” Ziara stopped him, holding up a hand. “Don’t explain. Just-- Just go for it. I’ll stop you if you’re wrong, and then you can tell me your reasoning.”

Thrawn visibly swallowed, then gave a small nod. Slowly, he adjusted himself on the couch, moving closer to her, his calculating gaze never leaving her face, and Ziara couldn’t help but smile. He mirrored her grin, lips parting slightly as he closed the distance more quickly, before stopping just a few centimeters from her face.

“May I kiss you?” He breathed, eyes still locked on hers. Normally, Ziara would have found such close eye contact awkward, even jarring. But she knew Thrawn was looking for answers, confirmation that his analysis was correct. He respected her, and knew the line he had walked up to was not crossed lightly.

“Yes,” Ziara replied warmly, and Thrawn finally closed his eyes as she closed the distance between them, meeting his lips in a gentle, almost chaste kiss. His lips were soft, parting slightly as she pressed forward, and she could taste their shared wine on his tongue as she deepened the kiss. 

Thrawn responded in kind, bringing a hand up to cup her face, and Ziara shivered as she let herself be pushed back against the arm of the couch, clumsily setting her wine down on the floor. Her training as a warrior usually meant she didn’t feel small compared to anyone, but as she laid back, Thrawn draped atop her, she remembered just how much larger than her he was. For as tentative he had been leading up to their kiss, Thrawn seemed to have slipped back into his normally confident self with ease, slotting a knee between her thighs and bracing his other arm against the edge of the couch, teasing her lower lip slightly with his teeth. He kissed _well,_ though perhaps that shouldn't come as a surprise, and Ziara could already feel a warmth building in her chest as he grazed her lower lip again. Ziara nipped right back before she broke their kiss, finding herself breathless, and gazed up at him. 

“Was my analysis correct?” Thrawn teased, voice a low rumble and eyes bright. Ziara chuckled, reaching up to run her fingers through his now-mussed hair. He closed his eyes at her touch, leaning into it, and Ziara leaned up to steal another quick kiss before answering.

“So far,” she murmured, moving to kiss down his jaw and then grazing her teeth along his neck, enjoying the shiver that ran through him as she did so. “I’d love to test it further.”

Thrawn hummed appreciatively, cocking his head to give her better access before, to her dismay, he pulled back slightly. 

“As much as I agree,” he said, voice still low, “I’m afraid I must take my leave.”

Ziara frowned. Had she done something wrong? It didn’t _feel_ like she did, but before she could speak, Thrawn continued.

“I have an early meeting with my brother tomorrow morning. He hasn’t gotten the chance to chide me for doing so well on my simulation exam,” Thrawn said, the good humor in his tone easing Ziara’s anxiety slightly. “But am I correct in assuming we may continue our tests at a later date?”

Ziara snorted. “You are. _If_ ,” she added, holding a finger up accusingly, “you provide dinner next time.”

“A fair request,” Thrawn agreed. He leaned down to kiss her again, almost lazily, before getting to his feet. “I gathered from your art that taking an early leave due to familial obligations wouldn’t cause you great offense.”

“Oh, I’m offended,” Ziara laughed, scooping up her wine again. “But I understand.”

“Hence the ‘great’ modifier,” Thrawn replied. He offered her a hand and pulled her to her feet. “Shall I send you my schedule, and you'll select our next date?”

“Sure,” Ziara said, leading the way to the door. She hesitated as she keyed it open, wondering how best to bid Thrawn goodbye, but he took the guesswork out of it.

“I await your comm,” he said, stepping close to kiss her again, and Ziara enjoyed the quiet confidence in his voice. It seemed that now that Thrawn knew where they stood, that calm surety that graced him in everyday life carried over here, and Ziara had to admit it was immensely attractive. 

“Soon, hopefully. Schedules allowing,” Ziara said with a smile. “Goodnight, Thrawn.”

“Goodnight.” A final kiss, a polite nod, and Thrawn was gone.


	2. Interlude

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay I got this part done and just. had to share it. so this is gonna be three chapters now lmao
> 
> special thanks to Revakah for the beta!

“You’re late.”

Thrawn glanced at his chrono, then back at his brother before pointedly taking his time in lowering himself into the wicker chair across from him.

“It is six minutes before your proposed meeting time,” Thrawn said, grabbing the steaming cup of caf already on the table that Thrass had ordered for him.

“Yes, and you are usually ten minutes early to everything.” Thrass pulled his eye-shades over his head, resting them jauntily just in front of his carefully crafted messy bun, and squinted at Thrawn shrewdly. “I didn’t think the whispers were true.”

“Speak plainly, _junior_ aristocra,” Thrawn said, ignoring his brother’s scrutiny and waving a server over. Thrass didn’t reply as Thrawn ordered for them, their usual breakfast orders not having changed once since they both came to Taharim, and instead chose to continue examining Thrawn for further evidence. The morning air was crisp, which might explain the faint, only noticeable to Thrass, flush on the tip of Thrawn’s nose. His hair was neatly slicked back, as usual, and his clothing in fair order…

“Ha!” Thrass exclaimed as he finally spotted what he was looking for, his joyfully triumphant cry startling their server as he put his order pad away. “I mean, of course you would cause trouble like this and I am very disappointed in you, but still. Congratulations, big brother.”

“I do not see how achieving a high score in a simulator exam would be cause for disappointment,” Thrawn said acidly. “But thank you.”

“Oh please, none of that,” Thrass said blithely, scooping up his _mim’osa_ and taking a sip. “We both know I’m not talking about your usual academy antics.”

Thrawn’s eyes flicked to Thrass’s drink for a long moment before returning to meet his brother’s mirthful gaze. Thrass quirked a well-groomed brow slyly, waiting for Thrawn to break the silence, but to his surprise, no defense came.

“You’re really going to make me spell this out for you?” Thrass said with a sigh, setting his drink down and pulling his satchel out from under his seat. He rummaged in it for a moment, then pulled out a make-up compact and plopped it in front of Thrawn. 

“We’re close enough that that shade should work,” Thrass said, pointing at his brother’s neck. “You can see a mark when your collar shifts.”

Thrawn’s hand snapped to his neck, that barely-noticeable flush returning to the tip of his nose, and Thrass laughed. 

“If you’re going to sleep with an Irizi, you really should try harder to cover your tracks,” Thrass said, voice losing some of its mirth. “That family already has it out for you Thrawn, what were you thinking?”

“I did not sleep with Ziara,” Thrawn bit out between clenched teeth, struggling to open the compact. 

“Give me that,” Thrass snapped, swiping the compact back and popping it open. “Go easy, that’s high-coverage,” he added before passing it back to Thrawn. “And why not? Is that from someone else, then?”

Thrawn glared at Thrass, not answering until he had carefully covered the bruise on his neck and snapped the compact shut. “I knew that if I stayed, I risked missing our breakfast.”

Thrass opened his mouth, sharp retort at the ready, then closed it again and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Let me get this straight. I’m going to have to work to scuttle the rumors that you slept with an Irizi, when in fact you left her hanging so as to not miss seeing me? Now I’m disappointed both as a politician _and_ as your brother.”

Just as Thrawn made to reply, his comm chirped happily from his pocket. 

Thrass narrowed his eyes. “Who is that?”

Thrawn didn’t reach for his comm, instead picking up his caf again. “I wouldn’t know,” he said lightly.

“Of course you wouldn’t, take it out and look!” Thrass said exasperatedly. 

“I wouldn’t want to interrupt our conversation.”

“Thrawn, I swear to--”

“Here we go!” Thrass’s retort was interrupted by their server delivering their plates, and Thrass quickly composed himself as he thanked them and all but shooed them away.

“Thrawn, if you don’t answer your comm, I am going to answer it for you,” Thrass said, pointing at Thrawn menacingly with his fork.

Thrawn snorted. “It certainly has been a while since we’ve sparred. You really want to cause a scene here?”

“Don’t get smart with me,” Thrass growled, spearing a piece of meat. “No one in the Syndicure would begrudge me strangling you across the breakfast table.”

“Well, you understand the Syndicure far better than I,” Thrawn agreed, finally pulling his comm from his pocket. Thrass watched as Thrawn read the message, then typed out a quick reply before returning it back to its place.

“Well?” Thrass asked pointedly. “Who was it?”

Thrawn merely smiled, taking a bite of his omelette before replying. “May I borrow your speeder tonight?”

Thrass froze. “You didn’t,” he breathed, fork halfway to his mouth. Thrawn continued to smile politely.

Thrass groaned and slumped back in his seat, flicking his eye-shades back down. “I can’t believe you,” he moaned, throwing his head back. What had he done to deserve this?

“Well? May I?” Thrawn asked innocently. 

Thrass held up a finger, head still turned toward the cool blue sky. “As a junior aristocra, I should say no. I should tell you to shove it, and stop making trouble for the family. But,” Thrass leaned up just enough to glare at his brother under his shades. “As your brother, I am morally obligated to say yes.”

“We are blood,” Thrawn pointed out helpfully, and Thrass barked out a mirthless laugh.

“Please. I doubt the family would take kindly to that excuse. ‘ _Oh, I’m so sorry Thurfian, but blood does come first, and I just had to be a good sibling and help my brother get laid.’_ What is Ziara even telling her own family?”

“Nothing,” Thrawn said, and Thrass shook his head.

“No, she’s too smart for that. Give her my comm, we can come up with a cover story together.”

“Would you like to know what she told me about what she did to her father when he first tried to control who she sees?” Thrawn asked, picking up his own _mim’osa_ and raising it pointedly.

“Yes,” Thrass said dryly, remembering how Thrawn had glared at his drink earlier.

“She said she ruined his favorite lounge-tunic,” Thrawn said smartly, taking a sip and setting his glass down neatly. 

“Of course she did,” Thrass scowled, slumping back in his chair again. Really, he shouldn’t be surprised. “You’re made for each other.” 


	3. The Date, part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> right, because I am a fool who can't resist some good plot, I'm breaking this into two chapters. Folks who are just here to get saucy, you can go ahead and skip to chapter 4 ;)
> 
> Chapter break is a bit messy because I'm literally just chopping this massive chunk in two, so. whooo!!!

Ziara tapped her foot lightly against the pavement, waiting for Thrawn to arrive. It was about ten minutes before he said to meet him at the entrance to the dormitories, and he was by no means late. She was just… nervous. 

She became aware of the sound her foot was making, and made instead to bounce one knee. The shift in weight caused her bag to slip from her shoulder, and she let out an annoyed huff as she hoisted it back into place and adjusted the strap. It wasn’t heavy, merely containing a towel and a few other necessities, and Ziara again puzzled over where Thrawn could be taking them for the evening.

Thrawn had told her to bring her swimsuit and dress for a hike. Ziara immediately assumed he had the Sitzugui hot springs in mind, but upon checking the hours of the nature park that contained it, found it would be closed. There was a possibility Thrawn would suggest they break in after-hours, but she had a feeling that wasn’t quite right. He took risks, but not risks like _that_. There were other trails that didn’t close, appealing to night-hikers and star-gazers who didn’t mind winding their way through Taharim’s wooded mountains in the dark, but she didn’t know of any that led to some sort of swimming hole. And besides, it was coming up on the winter months. It would be cold once the sun went down.

She was still combing through ideas when a sleek black speeder pulled up in front of her, its windows heavily tinted. She arched a brow as the passenger window rolled down, revealing Thrawn.

“I’d get out and open the door for you, but my brother advised me to be discreet,” he called, gesturing her over with a grin. 

Ziara snorted and opened the door, tossing her pack in the back seat and settling in.

“Nice ride,” she commented as Thrawn pulled away smoothly, noting the speeder’s quick acceleration. The seat was deep and comfortable, and there was a faint hint of something floral coming from the air vents. “I didn’t think they had ones like these in the speeder pool.” 

“Not to my knowledge,” Thrawn said, merging onto the expressway and making for the city limits. “But I didn’t think they would have any for cadets to borrow that would meet the specifications I needed.”

“Which are?” Ziara asked, noting that they were indeed heading towards the Sitzugi springs.

“I told my brother the tint would discourage prying eyes,” Thrawn said with a small smile. “And that it’s color would be more discreet.”

“Somehow I don’t think you truly care about that,” Ziara said with a chuckle.

“You are correct.”

“Well then?”

Thrawn didn’t reply, merely giving her another small smile as the traffic began to thin.

Ziara rolled her eyes. “I suppose it will become clear later?”

“Yes.”

“Alright then.” Ziara turned in her seat, inspecting the other two items in the back she had noticed when she tossed her own bag behind them. “I see you’ve got a pack as well… What’s in the box?”

“Dinner,” Thrawn said. “Another kindness from my brother.”

“Really?” Ziara asked, surprised. Then she rolled her eyes again as she remembered who Thrawn’s brother was. “He really doesn’t want us to be seen together, huh?”

“Not in social circumstances, no,” Thrawn said, keying the accelerator as they merged onto a gateway. Still heading in the direction of the springs, but not by the way Ziara usually travelled. 

“I woke to a lovely message from my father, which I promptly deleted,” Ziara grumbled, watching the trees pass in the waning sunlight. “I hate family politics.”

Thrawn nodded absently, keying on the speeder’s high-beams. They were well out of the city now, and surrounded by trees that blocked any remnants of twilight. With the moons having yet to rise, it was nearly pitch black beyond the reach of the speeders lights.

“What are you looking for?” Ziara asked, noting Thrawn’s look of concentration as they sped through the forest.

“A marker…” Thrawn muttered, leaning forward slightly. “Just to confirm… Ah, yes. There.” Thrawn pointed to a passing stone, nondescript except for its solitude, then pulled the accelerator all the way back. 

“Woah!” Ziara was thrown back in her seat, the sudden jump in speed catching her by surprise. “Thrawn! What are you doing?”

“Watch.” Thrawn continued to accelerate, his other hand hovering over the repulsor controls. The trees outside became a passing blur, and Ziara watched in horror as the high-beams illuminated what appeared to be a very solid-looking barrier-gate at the end of the road.

“Thrawn…” Ziara warned, tightening the restraints across her chest. 

“I see it,” Thrawn assured her, supremely calm, hand still hovering at the ready. “Not yet.”

Ziara clenched her teeth, bracing herself as the barrier loomed ahead of them, wondering why the _hell_ she had agreed to come out with him, was he _insane_ \--

“Now!” Thrawn said sharply, cutting the speeder’s engine and redirecting the power to the repulsors. Ziara wondered what he was doing at the controls, but found her eyes glued to the barrier meters in front of them when suddenly the speeder _heaved_ , the repulsors catapulting them into the air. Ziara gripped the edges of her seat tightly, knuckles going pale as they flew _over_ the barrier. She started to swear as the nose tipped down, dangerously down, when Thrawn restarted the engine, accelerator already locked in it’s wide-open position. 

The sudden jump forward threw Ziara back in her seat once again as the nose of the speeder leveled out and the repulsors _groaned_ as they came down on the other side of the barrier, level again but still at a ridiculous speed.

“Thrawn!” Ziara cried as they banked into a turn, Thrawn weaving them along a dusty path between towering trees. “Slow down!”

“I am,” Thrawn said, taking them through another sharp turn. “I’ve closed the throttle, but we must allow the speeder to slow on it’s own. We risk overheating the repulsors otherwise.”

“Oh, of course,” Ziara snarled sarcastically, gripping the door handle. “I wonder why they would be prone to overheating.”

“Under normal use, they are perfectly functional,” Thrawn said. The trees had started to become less of a blur as he spoke, and Ziara relaxed a fraction. “I would not have attempted such a maneuver otherwise.”

“Was it even necessary?” Ziara spat, heart in her throat.

“Yes,” Thrawn said, voice still maddeningly calm. “While disused, that barrier and accompanying fencing extends for several kilometers around our destination. If we wanted to reach it on foot, it would take several hours.”

“Why not just open it?” Ziara asked dryly.

“It would draw unnecessary attention.”

“Our broken bodies scattered amongst the remains of the speeder would draw unnecessary attention.”

Thrawn finally turned to glance at her, the speeder now moving at a leisurely pace. He was silent for a long moment, and Ziara was about to speak again when he finally blinked and looked away. “I would not have done it if I did not think it safe,” he said quietly, the sudden change in his voice catching her off guard. With a start, Ziara had realized she had heard him use such tone before. 

At his hearing, when he realized nothing he could say to the instructors would matter.

“Thrawn…” Ziara started to speak, then stopped herself. How could she explain this? How could she explain _herself_ , when Thrawn was thinking about far more than just her own reaction? “Thrawn, I’m sorry for being harsh, but from the information I had, what you were doing was downright insane. I know you’re used to people not understanding you, and maybe that’s why you didn’t share what you were going to do but…” Ziara bit her lip. Had she read too much into their time together? “But I had hoped I had shown you otherwise. You can talk to me. I’ll listen.”

Thrawn was silent for a moment. “I had hoped I had shown that you could trust me,” he said softly.

Ziara let his words wash over her. She hadn’t expected that, and her kneejerk reaction was to disagree, dismiss the statement as not applying here. But the more she thought about his dejected statement, she realized what he was telling her.

“I think we both expected too much from each other,” Ziara said gently, turning back to Thrawn. “I do trust you. But I also trust myself, and the conclusions I draw. Will you make an effort to share more information with me in the future, so I don’t come to the wrong one?”

Thrawn glanced at her quickly, then back to the road. “I can promise that I will try,” he said, nodding. “I’m sorry.”

“Me too,” Ziara said, settling back into her seat. Silence settled between them, heavy, but not exactly uncomfortable. The sort of silence that both parties knew was necessary, for the moment, and would be broken at the right time. 

They had driven perhaps a dozen kilometers, the terrain growing more rocky and the trees sparser before Thrawn spoke. “You asked for more information,” he said, slowing the speeder and guiding it between two towering trees before cutting the engine, leaving them parked at the foot of a steep rock face. “I will share some now, but I’d like to ask that you allow me to not tell you everything, so as not to ruin my planned surprise.”

“Does it involve any more death-defying stunts?” Ziara asked, her tone light and teasing.

Thrawn gave her a small smile. “We will be climbing that,” he said, nodding to the cliff in front of them. “But it is an easy free climb.”

“Okay,” Ziara said, eyeing the cliff. It was hard to tell in the dark, but… She recalled his earlier words. Thrawn wouldn’t suggest it if he didn’t think it was safe.

“This land is not part of the nature reserve,” Thrawn continued. “It is privately owned, but to my knowledge, left completely untouched and unobserved. The gate we passed is nearly rusted shut, and there is no sign of maintenance, perhaps for several decades. The Sitzugi springs stretch into this area, and one such spring will be our destination.”

“So we’re trespassing?” Ziara asked carefully.

Thrawn shrugged. “Yes. But I’ve come here several times before, and never had an issue.”

“Alright,” Ziara said, nodding. “So what’s the big secret?”

Thrawn smiled. “That’s the surprise I wish to reveal later.” He cocked his head to the side. “Rather, the surprise I hope _you_ will discover.”

* * *

Their ascent took only a few minutes, Thrawn leading the way. He was right that it was an easy climb, despite the crumbling nature of the volcanic stone, and Ziara found she had ample time to appreciate the view of Thrawn above her. His outdoors attire wasn’t tight or provocative by any means, but when seen from below quickly reminded her that her interest in Thrawn was more than academic.

From there, they wove their way through a natural path along the side of the mountain. The view was spectacular, one moon full and bright and the other a cheerful crescent beside it, their ascent across the sky mirroring her and Thrawn’s own climb. 

“I’m surprised the nature reserve hasn’t attempted to acquire this land,” Ziara said as they walked, appreciating the way the trees below them leisurely waved in the gentle breeze. “It’s beautiful.”

Thrawn hummed in noncommittal agreement, following her gaze. “An important observation,” he said enigmatically, and Ziara could hear the smile in his tone.

They walked for another few minutes before coming up on another sheer cliff face, this one with a handful of large boulders scattered at its foot. 

“More climbing?” Ziara asked, tightening her pack over her shoulders.

“Not quite,” Thrawn said. He had taken his own pack off and was unstrapping the small box that contained their dinner. That done, he put his pack back on, then handed the box to Ziara. “If you would hold this for a moment.”

Ziara accepted the box, a little bemused, and watched as Thrawn leapt onto the boulder in front of them and climbed atop it.

“Toss it to me,” he said, standing above her and holding out his arms. Ziara obliged and Thrawn caught the box neatly. He nodded in thanks and held the box close to his chest, then, with a mischievous grin, turned and jumped behind the boulder, disappearing.

“Thrawn?” Ziara asked after a moment. What was he doing? “Thrawn? Am I supposed to follow you?”

There was no reply. Ziara sighed and set upon the boulder, scrambling up after him. The top was curved and jagged despite years of weathering, and she stayed on hands and knees as she crawled to the back. The stone was resting against the cliff, a few stray plants making an effort to grow in the cracks between, and there was a small gap roughly where Thrawn had hopped away. It was hard to tell in the scant light from the moon, but it looked to go into the cliff itself.

“Oh for the love of…” Ziara swore once before reorienting herself, edging towards the gap on her behind. “Thrawn?”

She was again met with silence, and she huffed out a breath before she shoved herself forward, closing her eyes and tucking her elbows in tight as she slid down the rough stone. 

There was a moment of freefall, enough to send her heart into her throat again, and her boots hit solid ground a second later. The sound of her landing echoing around her, Ziara opened her eyes and felt her jaw drop. 

She had landed at the foot of a small tunnel lined with shimmering, glittering crystals. As her eyes adjusted, she could see that the ones closest to her let off a faint warm glow, and that glow grew stronger further back along the path. The crystals were of all shapes and sizes, some as small as a fingernail and others bigger than her, jutting out from the walls and floor at every angle. 

It was clear this was not a natural passageway through the rock. There were marks on the stone left from tools, and the floor was clear of crystals, leaving the path easy to tread upon. Ziara took a step forward, her boots echoing against the stone floor, and was startled by a voice.

“Ziara?” Thrawn’s call echoed from down the tunnel. “Did you get stuck?”

“I’m coming,” Ziara called back, shaking her head a bit and setting off down the path. The air grew warmer as she made her way deeper into the cave, a slight breeze carrying humidity and the scent of water. The glow grew brighter and brighter, and soon the crystals began throwing shadows off each other, the odd shapes painting the walls in deep blues and blacks. 

Soon the path widened, and Ziara was left breathless at the sight before her. The path opened upon a vast cavern, well lit by the gentle glow of the crystals and the sound of running water dancing off the walls and high ceiling. The crystals were _everywhere_ , scattered like leaves on the ground and latched firmly to the rock walls and jutting up from a natural pool of shimmering water a few meters in front of her. Across the pool was a natural break in the rock, creating a sort of picture window looking out onto the dark horizon outside the mountain. The moonlight streaming through glittered off the crystals, twinkling and sparkling in a rainbow of colors.

“What is this place?” Ziara breathed, taking a step forward. Thrawn had set up beside the pool, a large blanket laid on a clear patch of ground and some of their dinner already set out. 

“One of the many pools that feed the Sitzugi springs,” Thrawn said. He grinned as she approached. “I take it you find it to your liking?”

“This surprise is well worth almost dying,” Ziara said. She turned to one of the larger crystals and tentatively placed a hand on it. “Oh! It’s warm,” She said, pulling her hand back quickly and turning to Thrawn. “What are they?”

“False kyber,” Thrawn said, kneeling to continue setting out their meal. “Well. That’s what the Jedi and Sith of old would call it. I think a more apt name is lesser kyber.”

“And why is that?” Ziara joined him on the blanket, shucking her pack and wrapping her arms around her knees. She could feel the warmth of the ground through the blanket, and the contrast from the cool breeze from the hole opposite them sent goosebumps along her arms. 

“As far as I can tell, these crystals seem to share all the same physical properties of regular kyber,” Thrawn said, passing Ziara a drink. A light fruit ale of some sort, cool and sweet. “But they are more delicate, and do not amplify energy as strongly as regular kyber does.”

“Useless to Jedi and Sith, then,” Ziara agreed. “I never understood their fascination with the stone.”

“There may be things we do not understand about it,” Thrawn said as he sat next to her, feet bare, drink in hand and dinner ready for them. “But I find myself tending to agree. Nevertheless, these crystals here serve to redirect heat from the core of the planet, passing it to the springs and throwing light in caves like this.”

“It’s beautiful,” Ziara said. She was itching to take a dip in the pool in front of them, but dinner would have to come first. “Thank you for bringing me here.”

“There is one more thing,” Thrawn said, turning to gaze out the hole across the pool. “But we need to wait for the moons to climb a bit higher.”

Ziara arched a brow at him, but Thrawn merely continued to smile. “Remember your query as to why the nature preserve hadn’t added this land to their purview? I’m curious to see if you will figure out why.”

Ziara didn’t reply, instead taking another sip of her drink and watching Thrawn closely. He seemed extremely pleased with himself, smiling again and holding a plate out to her. “ _G’ezi’ttin’t_? I know we had this last night, but Thrass seemed determined to prove he could do it better.”

“Thrass cooked this?” Ziara asked, surprised. She took a piece and bit into it. Its crust had gone a little soft, probably because it had sat in the box for a while, but it was still delicious.

“He insisted,” Thrawn said, setting the plate between them and pulling another closer, this one piled high with noodles in a rich, dark sauce. “Aside from wanting to throw doubt on your father’s recipe, he claimed that my going out to buy a to-go dinner for two would be suspicious.”

“I don’t know if I should feel uncomfortable that your brother knows what we’re doing, or glad that he’s willing to help lessen the amount of gossip surrounding us,” Ziara said with a laugh. She shook her head. “The length politicians will go to.”

Thrawn shrugged. “To be fair, I merely told him I wished to take us on a hike and picnic.” His eyes glittered mischievously over his drink. “I did not mention where we were going, or how exactly we would get here.”

“Probably wise,” Ziara laughed. “I doubt he would be happy with your pushing his speeder like that.”

“I think he might be more upset at the loss of his speeder than my untimely death,” Thrawn joked. “Despite my best efforts, I do seem to be a thorn in his side from time to time.”

“That’s family for you,” Ziara agreed, clinking her glass against Thrawn’s. 

“I did tell him what you did to your father’s tunic,” Thrawn said. “Upon learning that, Thrass was unsurprised we had become friends.”

Ziara laughed, and from there they fell into easy conversation, trading stories of how they annoyed their respective families and commiserating over how ridiculous all that nonsense was. All of Thrawn’s stories seemed to hinge on him unknowingly stepping over some unseen social or political line, whereas Ziara’s consisted of her seeing such lines and leaping over them happily. Time flew by as they ate and laughed together, and Ziara realized they had spent nearly an hour sitting on the blanket, dinner long since finished.

Thrawn glanced out to the sky again and craned his neck a bit, seemingly searching for something before turning to Ziara. “Would you like to swim?”

“Absolutely,” Ziara said, setting her drink down enthusiastically. She’d had a few of them, and relished how loose and free her limbs felt in her mild buzz. She swept her shirt off her head, revealing her suit underneath her clothes. She then turned to Thrawn, about to challenge him to a race to the pool, to find he had quickly turned away from her, stiff backed and arms around his knees.

“Uh, Thrawn?” Ziara asked, confused. “You okay?”

“I wanted to give you privacy,” Thrawn said, still facing away from her. “I apologize.”

Ziara laughed. “Thrawn, I’ve got my suit on under my clothes. I’m not naked.”

“Ah.” Thrawn said shortly, turning back around, a tiny blush touching the tip of his nose. “I did not plan ahead as such.”

“I would like to point out that warriors of the Chiss Defense Fleet should not care about such petty things, and should be prepared for all situations,” Ziara said haughtily, putting on the voice of one of their more annoying instructors and adding a nasal twinge. “And as such, should a certain senior cadet have challenged you to a race to the water, you would have lost.”

“Is that so?” Thrawn asked, returning her teasing. “Well, Senior Cadet Ziara, I believe you have miscalculated.” And with that, Thrawn shoved himself up off the blanket and sprinted to the pool, throwing himself in, clothes and all. 

“Oh, that is _not_ fair!” Ziara cried. She got on her knees, fumbling with the closure to her hiking pants and shaking with laughter. 

“Hardly,” Thrawn said with a grin as he resurfaced, hair plastered to his forehead. “You neglected to dictate terms.”

“A lesson I will have to remember,” Ziara laughed, finally shucking her pants. “Your clothes are ruined,” she added as she took a moment to fold hers neatly.

“Merely wet,” Thrawn said, bobbing up to the edge of the pool and resting his forearms against the stone. “Though this is rather uncomfortable. Would you mind passing me my suit?”

“Sure,” Ziara said, pulling Thrawn’s pack to her and began rummaging through it. Upon seeing what he had packed, she groaned and rolled her eyes, turning it upside down and dumping the contents out. 

“A spare set of clothes,” she said, shaking her head as a shirt and another pair of hiking pants tumbled out. “You are unbelievable.”

“Prepared. I am prepared,” Thrawn replied. 

“I should have guessed,” Ziara said, tossing his trunks at his head.

“Thank you,” Thrawn said, catching them neatly before they hit him. Ziara watched as Thrawn set them down beside the pool then began peeling off his shirt, quickly followed by his pants and underclothes. She couldn’t see more than the top of his chest, owing to his position at the side of the pool, and she briefly toyed with the idea of leaping in then and there before Thrawn got his trunks on, but decided that would be rude. Thrawn had respected her privacy, after all. 

“Are you going to join me?” Thrawn asked, breaking her out of her reverie. He had neatly laid out his wet clothing beside the pool and was drifting back lazily towards the center. “I do not want you to miss the final part of the surprise.”

“I wonder what that could be,” Ziara said sarcastically, getting to her feet and making her way over.

Thrawn cocked his head at her, and looked confused.

“I-- Nevermind,” Ziara said, blushing slightly as she hopped into the pool. She had taken Thrawn’s comment as a feeble attempt at flirting, but apparently that wasn’t the case. “Oh, this is nice,” she said instead, taking a moment to submerge her head and brush her hair out of her face. “It’s warmer than the springs in the reserve.”

“It has a higher mineral content as well,” Thrawn replied, tipping onto his back and allowing the slight circular current to tug him along. “I find it slightly more buoyant.”

Ziara mirrored him and found he was correct, her head resting slightly higher than in a normal pool, leaving her ears clear. “Ah,” she said with a contented sigh, closing her eyes. “I could get used to this.”

They floated in silence for a while, Ziara lazily weaving her hands through the warm water, listening to the sounds of the cave. She hadn’t been able to pinpoint where the sound of running water came from, but from the direction she was drifting, supposed there was a hidden stream of some sort behind the crystals or stone. It was supremely relaxing.

After a few minutes, she felt Thrawn bump up against her foot. “It’s starting,” he murmured. Ziara opened her eyes and made to sit up, but Thrawn waved a hand. “Stay on your back and watch the ceiling.”

Ziara obeyed, relaxing again and gazing up at the ceiling of the cave. It was mostly clear of crystals, just barely visible in the glow. She wanted to ask what they were waiting for, but as she opened her mouth to speak, she caught a faint glittering in the corner of her eye. 

She shifted slightly to see it better, and as she did so, the glittering increased, blooming across the ceiling of the cave. Ziara’s breath caught as it grew, creeping along the far side then spreading to cover the entire ceiling, shimmering glints and twinkles in every color imaginable painting its way along. The entire ceiling was lit now, shadows cast by cracks and juts in the rock creating a stunning angular pattern amongst the colors. She had never seen anything like it. 

“Thrawn…” She breathed, entranced. 

She felt the water shift, and Thrawn’s shoulder bumped up against hers. “Give it another few minutes, then tell me what you see,” he said. 

“How…” She paused, thinking. “The crystals are refracting the moonlight?”

“Yes,” Thrawn said, sounding pleased. “With only one moon full, the effect isn’t as pronounced. But I think you’ll be able to see what I wanted to show you.”

Ziara couldn’t imagine what the cave could possibly look like with both moons full. The designs painted on the ceiling were _stunning_ , intricate and slowly shifting as the moons traversed the window of the cave, and--

“Wait a minute.” Ziara pushed herself forward, the tips of her toes touching the bottom of the pool as she stood upright and stared at the ceiling. “That’s-- That has to be a coincidence.” She turned to stare at Thrawn, pointing at the design above them. “That’s the symbol of house Chaf in the center.”

Thrawn tipped himself upright as well, grinning. “A remarkable resemblance, don’t you agree?”

“That’s more than resemblance,” Ziara said, staring back up at the ceiling and following the design. It became more pronounced by the second, and there was no mistaking it. “I don’t understand,” she said, frowning. “Is this Chaf property? Did they do this?”

“The only sign of modification to the crystals is at the entrance to the cavern. Additionally, in my research, I have found that this land is marked as owned by an ‘anonymous benefactor’,” Thrawn said, sounding pleased. “It has been labeled as such for several centuries. As far back as the records go, in fact.”

“But…” Ziara’s breath caught as she understood. “The Chaf’s have always claimed to originate from Naporar,” she said accusingly. She remembered what she had asked earlier, about the nature reserve and what portion of the land they owned, and the rusted gate, unopened for years. The seemingly-strategically placed boulder and non-natural path into the cavern… “Are you telling me the Chaf family in fact is _not_ from Naporar, and rather from here, Taharim? And they used this naturally-occurring design for their crest?”

“Well deduced,” Thrawn said with a wide grin. 

“Of course they would do that,” Ziara said derisively. “Whatever small amount of status a closer world to Csilla gives them…”

“A shame they would renounce their heritage in such a fashion,” Thrawn agreed. “But we can see from the art they choose to associate themselves with that they have not completely renounced ties to this world.”

“Do you think every Chaf knows this?” Ziara asked, flipping onto her back again. The design had begun to blur as the shadows continued to stretch.

“Probably not,” Thrawn said, mirroring her and bumping her shoulder again slightly. “The more people that know a secret, the harder it is to keep.”

“True,” Ziara said. She took a moment to think it over, running through different scenarios in her head. “Probably just the Patriarch, and Taharim’s Patriel. Maybe a few other high- ranking members. The Speaker, if the nature reserve made a request to the Syndicure to expand their land holdings.”

“Very good,” Thrawn said. “As I said last week, you have an eminently tactical mind, Ziara.”

“Are you trying to turn this date into a tactics lesson?” Ziara joked, kicking him lightly with her foot. 

“Not exactly my intention,” Thrawn said with a laugh, drifting to his feet. “Why? Would you like to spar again?”


	4. The Date, Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there's no STDs in space because I said so; don't have unprotected sex in real life folks
> 
> btw no beta, please feel free to point out any typos lmao
> 
> enjoy <3

Ziara turned and gave him a wry smile. He was close to her and she had to look up slightly to meet his eyes. Their red glow seemed more pronounced in the dim light of the crystals, and his wet hair shimmered, reflecting some of the colors still dancing on the ceiling.

“I think I’d like to do something else,” Ziara said, flipping onto her feet gracefully. The part of the pool they had drifted to was slightly deeper than other areas, and she took a single step forward and used her tip-toes to push herself towards Thrawn, letting the extra buoyancy of the water carry her the rest of the way.

Thrawn caught her as she neared, lightly grabbing her waist with both hands and letting her rest her hands on his broad shoulders. With him holding her, they were eye to eye. 

“A much better idea,” Thrawn murmured, eyes twinkling. 

Ziara smiled and pressed forward, capturing his lips in hers. The kiss started much as their first one had, gentle and chaste at first, but this time Thrawn was the one to deepen it. Ziara slipped slightly as he readjusted his hands, wrapping a forearm around her waist and pressing her against his firm chest, and he paused to let her wrap her arms around his shoulders before kissing her again with parted lips and a light flick of tongue. 

Ziara returned the gesture and added a nip to his bottom lip, feeling Thrawn grin into the kiss. 

“A fan of biting, hm?” Thrawn rumbled, that quiet confidence taking on an entirely new, wonderful timbre. “I believe I need to return a favor from last night.”

“What-- Oh!” Zaira gasped as Thrawn hoisted her higher in his arms, one hand looping under her thigh and encouraging her to wrap her legs around his waist as he brought his lips to her neck. 

“I take it-- ah! I take it I left a mark?” Ziara said, breath catching as Thrawn sucked, then worried his teeth against her skin.

“You did,” Thrawn said, pausing to kiss her again before moving his head to the other side of her neck, alternating reverent kisses and gentle bites. “My brother was nearly distraught-- something about leaving visible evidence.”

“If this is your revenge, I have no regrets,” Ziara replied, tangling a hand in his hair, encouraging him. Goosebumps alighted on her arms and shoulders despite the warmth of the water as Thrawn slowly kissed and nipped his way down her neck to her collarbone, breath hot against her skin.

“May I?” Thrawn paused again, whispering just above the skin next to the shoulder of Ziara’s one piece swimsuit, then gently tugging at it with his teeth, making his intentions clear.

“Please,” Ziara breathed, unhooking that arm from around his shoulders. She tightened her grip around his waist as Thrawn slowly removed his hand from her thigh and trailed it upwards, running his fingers lightly over her behind, then to the small of her back, then following the line of the fabric higher until he had taken the strap in his hand and tugged it down her arm. 

“No,” Thrawn said softly as Ziara made to unhook her other arm from his shoulders. “Just this, for now,” he said, holding her close and resuming his ministrations. Pressed against his chest as she was, her suit was still covering her chest entirely and yet somehow she felt far more exposed than she had just moments ago. It was as though yet another line had been crossed, quietly and respectfully, and it lit a fire in her core. Ziara leaned into him, seeking as much contact as she could, and buried her nose in his hair. The wet strands were cool against her cheek, and she gasped again as Thrawn worried his teeth across her shoulder. 

“You are unfairly good at this,” Ziara muttered, doing her best to keep her words steady, and she felt Thrawn grin against her again. He adjusted his grip, hoisting her slightly higher, and began working his way back towards her neck and lower, lightly trailing his tongue along her collarbone and dipping to kiss her chest.

“Hold me,” Ziara said, taking one hand to guide Thrawn’s to her lower back. “You said to wait, but I’m impatient.” With Thrawn supporting her, gazing upward to meet her eyes, she locked her ankles behind him and pulled away slightly, using both arms to tug the other side of her suit off and pushed it down to her waist. With her thighs wrapped around the bottom of his ribs, she could feel Thrawn’s sharp inhale as she finished pushing her suit down, and she grinned before taking his face in both hands and dipped down to kiss him. 

“I take it you don’t mind moving things along?” She asked playfully between kisses, feeling her own breathing quicken.

“Not at all,” Thrawn murmured. He moved one hand up her back, pressing her upwards and forwards, and Ziara straightened against him, relishing the dual sensations of Thrawn’s large, strong hands holding her close as he peppered delicate kisses down her chest. She tangled her hands in his hair again and sighed as he buried his face between her breasts, running his tongue up her sternum then kissing his way back down again. He did that a few more times, pressing a hand into her lower back and encouraging her to arch against him, and Ziara was about to ask he let her down so she could drag him to their blanket when suddenly Thrawn shifted, taking one nipple between his teeth and making her gasp. 

“Good?” Thrawn asked, leaning back to gaze up at her with a lazy grin.

“Very,” Ziara panted, and Thrawn immediately dipped back down to do the same to her other nipple, drawing another sharp gasp from her. From there, his touch turned into an almost delicious sort of tourture, nipping and sucking at her nipple until the sensations became almost too much; he would then pull back and shift to her other breast while one of his hands came up and rubbed soothing circles against her abused flesh. She lost track of time as Thrawn switched back and forth, sharp teeth and soft fingers reducing her to a gasping, panting, pleading mess, and she started slightly when she felt her back bump up against the rough edge of the pool. 

“Thrawn,” Ziara gasped as he placed a kiss on one breast, then the other, before turning to gaze up at her. His eyes were glittering, almost wild as he grinned up at her, hair a mess from Ziara’s fingers. 

“Would you like to continue?” Thrawn asked, returning his hands to her lower back and trailing his nails along her skin beneath the water, tracing lazy circles and leaving trails of fire where he touched. 

“Please,” Ziara breathed, chest heaving and leaning forward to kiss him again. Their kiss was sloppy, open-mouthed and hard, and Ziara didn’t care in the slightest, desperate for _more_. 

Almost as though he read her mind, Thrawn gently tapped one of her thighs, wordlessly asking her to release him. Ziara complied and slipped down just for a moment before yelping slightly as Thrawn readjusted his grip and easily lifted her out of the pool. 

“If you would be so kind,” Thrawn rumbled, stepping forward between her thighs and slipping his fingers under her bunched up swimsuit at her hips. Ziara cocked her head at him, then grinned as she realized what he was asking. Bracing her hands behind her, she raised her hips just enough so Thrawn could tug the suit down, under her ass and over her thighs before pulling it off completely and tossing it onto the ground behind her. 

“I realize now, much to my regret,” Thrawn murmured, dipping down slightly to tug her thighs over his shoulders, head between them, “that I have neglected to tell you how stunning you are.” He finished his statement with a soft kiss against her inner thigh, and Ziara shivered. 

“A travesty,” Ziara joked, gasping softly as Thrawn repeated the action against her other thigh. The ground beneath her was warm and she shivered again as the cool breeze danced across her bare skin. She was distantly aware of how exposed she was, naked and lounging on her hands with Thrawn between her legs, but the feel of his firm shoulders beneath her knees and his broad hands holding her thighs served to anchor her, ground her in the moment. 

“Truly,” Thrawn agreed, trailing kisses higher and higher up her thighs. He was stepping forward as he did so, moving closer to her core, his shoulders spreading her thighs wider as he drew closer. Ziara watched him as he went, his eyes closed as he lazily kissed one thigh, then the other, until he could come no closer, the edge of the pool stopping him. He opened his eyes then and looked up at her, gaze heavy, and ran his palms up her thighs to her ass, gently tugging her forward.

Ziara shuffled as close to the edge of the pool as she could, heart pounding as she met his gaze. “Thank you,” Thrawn muttered, leaning forward to place a kiss on her stomach, then another slightly lower, and another, and another. Ziara slowly reclined with each kiss, closing her eyes and letting herself relax onto the warm stone, all her nerves alight with excitement as Thrawn finally reached his goal. 

She moaned as Thrawn dipped low, running his tongue lightly up her slit and repeated the motion in the opposite direction, up and down, tantalizingly slow. With each pass he pressed his tongue deeper against her, tasting her, teasing her, and Ziara whimpered plaintively when he finally pressed his tongue between her folds and licked a long, slow stripe over her clit.

“Please,” she panted, running her fingers through his hair, head thrown back and back arched against the warm stone. “Stars Thrawn, please.”

Thrawn gave a pleased hum as he did it again, sending fire crackling down her spine and drawing a delighted gasp from her. From there Thrawn set a steady rhythm, each pass eliciting a low moan from Ziara as she began to rock her hips against him, unable to stop herself. The warm press of his tongue varied from teasing to demanding, and soon she was practically writhing beneath him, his firm grip on her hips holding her in place as she felt that delicious pressure building in her core. She was aware of her gasps and cries echoing throughout the cave and found she didn’t care in the slightest; nothing mattered except Thrawn and his touch and that edge she was coming so, so close to. 

Ziara tightened her grip in his hair and leaned up on one elbow, chest heaving as she drew closer and closer to her orgasm; she want to watch Thrawn as she came and she opened her mouth to tell him so, when to her dismay, Thrawn pulled back.

“Thrawn,” Ziara begged, every muscle in her body tense. “Thrawn, please--”

“Not yet,” Thrawn said, his breaths short and a wicked grin on his flushed lips. He ran his palms down her hips to her thighs, gripping them for a moment before planting his hands on the edge of the pool and standing straight.

Ziara tipped back as he did so, scrambling back on her elbows and pulling her legs off his shoulders. Thrawn raised himself out of the pool in one fluid motion and Ziara was once again reminded how broad he was compared to her as he climbed forward on his knees, hovering above her. Ziara ran her palms up his arms, over his taut biceps and firm shoulders before trailing her fingers down his chest, ignoring the chill from the droplets of water now hitting her bare skin. She realized this was the first time she had truly seen Thrawn mostly unclothed; having spent the majority of their time in the pool either floating on her back or with her chest pressed against him, she hadn’t taken the time to simply _look_. 

Thrawn seemed to realize this and grinned again, propping himself up slightly higher on his arms and allowing Ziara’s hands to wander across his body. He was lean and toned, the muscles of his chest and stomach well defined and flexed as he held himself over her, and Ziara found herself wanting _more_.

“Up,” she said decisively, pressing a palm against Thrawn’s chest and sitting up as he sat back on his knees. He was straddling one of her thighs, the motion pulling his swim trunks taught across his waist and Ziara’s mouth practically watered at the sight of the tent created by his clearly hard cock. 

“I realize I have neglected to tell you how stunning you are,” Ziara said as she drank in the sight of him, jokingly echoing Thrawn’s earlier statement. Thrawn huffed out a laugh and Ziara grinned up at him before pointedly letting her eyes trail downward. “But I do believe one of us is wearing far too much clothing.”

“My apologies,” Thrawn said, inclining his head to her. He got to his feet and began unlacing his trunks, and Ziara took the opportunity to shift onto her knees in front of him. She tilted her head up to him as he bent over to tug his trunks down, and they shared a quick kiss before he straightened and kicked them aside.

Ziara bit her lip, grinning as she again took in the sight of him before her. Tall and broad shouldered, proud chin and mussed hair, slim hips accenting his strong thighs, his cock hanging full and heavy between them. 

“Stunning,” Ziara repeated, giggling as Thrawn looked slightly abashed and seemed unsure what to do with his hands as he stood in front of her. She outright laughed as he settled for clasping them behind his back and stood at attention in front of her, grinning almost shyly. 

“Come here,” she said, sitting up straighter and licking her lips, reaching for Thrawn’s thighs. “Let me return the favor.”

“Your knees-- _oh_.” Thrawn’s protest was cut short as Ziara leaned forward and licked a long stripe up the underside of his cock. “Are you--?”

“I’ll be fine,” Ziara assured him, gripping his thighs and placing a kiss on his navel. “Now shut up.” She ran her tongue over him again before taking the head of his cock between her lips, bobbing once before slowly pressing forward. Thrawn gasped as she did so, and she felt him shift slightly, spreading his feet for more stability. She continued working his cock into her mouth, pulling back slightly now and then to work her saliva along his shaft until she finally felt him hit the back of her throat, her nose pressed against his stomach. 

Thrawn let out a wordless sort of groan as she pulled back, letting her lips slip off his cock with a lewd _pop_ before she tongued the head, guiding it smoothly into her mouth to the hilt. Just as he had earlier, Ziara struck up a rhythm, alternating between sucking at the tip and letting him press down her throat, swallowing around him when she could and working her tongue against the sensitive underside. Thrawn tangled a hand in her hair, his grip more for stability than control as he let her set the pace, rocking his hips gently in time with each bob of her head. She could hear him breathing hard above her, little breathy moans coming with every exhale, and Ziara couldn’t help but feel extremely pleased with herself. Calm, stoic Thrawn, thighs trembling in her grip and unwilling to keep quiet as she worked over his cock. His breaths became more and more ragged as she worked until he was all but panting, his cock twitching in her mouth against her tongue.

“Blanket,” Ziara said as she pulled off his cock for a final time, her own chest heaving as she caught her breath. “Now, please.”

Thrawn didn’t speak as he released her hair, instead grabbing her hand and nearly yanking her to her feet and pulling her in for a deep, almost desperate kiss. Ziara practically melted in his embrace as she tasted herself on his lips, his arms wrapping around her and pulling her to his chest. They stumbled their way to the blanket, unwilling to break apart long enough to walk properly, and they tumbled onto the blanket in a clumsy pile. 

Ziara shifted onto her back and attempted to pull Thrawn with her, but he leaned away slightly. “A moment,” he said breathlessly, turning the haphazard pile of his pack’s contents. He rifled through it for a moment, then pulled out a small package.

“A quick-inflate sleeping pad,” Thrawn said in response to Ziara’s raised brow, and he quickly unfurled it and keyed the air intake. A moment later, the pad had puffed up neatly, and Thrawn flopped onto it, tugging Ziara with him. 

“ _Now_ I’ll agree that you're prepared,” Ziara joked, sprawling across his chest and bracketing his hips between her thighs. She shifted slightly, rolling her hips against him until she had pinned his cock between his taut stomach and her clit. Thrawn grabbed her hips and threw his head back with a low groan as she rocked on top of him, each movement sending a zing of pleasure coursing through her. 

“I take it you’re on blockers?” Ziara asked between short breaths, dipping down to mouth at Thawn’s jaw.

“Yes; aren’t all members of the fleet?” Thrawn murmured back, tangling one hand in her hair and rocking his hips to match her rhythm. 

“Just being thorough,” Ziara said with a grin before sinking her teeth into the firm column of his throat, eliciting another moan from him. She loved pulling those sounds from him, whimpers and groans she could barely have imagined him capable of, and she bit him again just to feel him tremble beneath her. 

Ziara continued to nip and kiss as she raised her hips slightly, rocking forward just a bit further until she felt the tip of his cock pressing against her. She was soaking wet, had been for some time, and it took a few tries before she finally got the angle right.

Thrawn _gasped_ as the head of his cock slipped inside her, Ziara letting out a shuddering moan right along with him. For all of Thrawn’s clever work with his tongue, she had practically been aching to be filled, and for a moment the sensations were almost overwhelming-- Thrawn’s hands, one in her hair and the other gripping her hip hard enough to bruise, his chest heaving against hers, the _wonderful_ stretch as the slowly rocked together, his cock sinking deeper and deeper until their hips met again.

“Just-- Just give me a moment,” Ziara panted, burrowing her face in Thrawn’s neck. He was girthier than others she had been with, and she willed herself to relax her pelvic muscles as she got used to the almost uncomfortable stretch. “I-- I’m--”

“I’m right here,” Thrawn interrupted her, bringing both hands to her back and holding her tightly against his chest, stilling his hips. “Take your time.”

Ziara took a deep breath. She could feel Thrawn’s heartbeat beneath her, quick and steady, and she went limp against him, allowing herself to be carried by the gentle rise and fall of his breathing. She hadn’t realized how close to overstimulated she was, and she gave herself a moment to just _breathe_. Thrawn was stable ground beneath her, warm and comfortable, and she felt that coiled tension slowly loosen.

Tentatively, she rocked her hips against him, and she shuddered at the warm curl of pleasure that came with the motion. She did it again, sitting up slightly with a breathy moan, and Thrawn brought a hand up to shift her hair out of her face and meet her gaze. Ziara stared right back at him, eyes locked as she rolled her hips further, Thrawn rocking his own and meeting her languid rhythm. His mouth was slightly open, breaths becoming ragged as they slowly sped up together, cheeks flushed and eyes gleaming. 

Ziara planted her palms on either side of his head, sitting up and arching against him and unable to stifle the filthy moan that tumbled from her mouth as Thrawn moved his hands back to her hips, gripping her tightly as he fucked into her more quickly. Each thrust jolted her forward, her hair falling over her shoulders and pooling around Thrawn’s head in a messy curtain. She could feel that tension returning, far sweeter this time and sparking with every stroke of his cock. They were both panting now, their gasps and moans echoing throughout the cavern, and Ziara let her arms go out from under her, collapsing onto Thrawn and kissing him hungrily, letting him take control.

She felt Thrawn shift beneath her, spreading his knees wider and planting his feet into the sleeping pad, and Ziara cried out from the change in angle as he thrust deeper into her with long, brutal strokes, the tip of his cock hitting a spot inside her that lit a fire in her core. 

“Fuck, Thrawn! I-- I’m--”

“Tell me when,” Thrawn growled into her ear, low voice sending shivers down her spine. “Tell me when you’re close.”

“I’m close, stars I’m so close,” Ziara begged, that tension coiling tighter and tighter as he pounded into her. She could feel her orgasm approaching, her heartbeat thrumming in her ears and every nerve in her body sparking. “Don’t stop, please don’t stop, I’m-- I’m--!” 

Ziara let out a strangled cry as her orgasm crashed over her, that perfect tension snapping and flooding her with wave after wave of pleasure. She shut her eyes, struggling to breathe as her heart threatened to burst from her chest, stars dancing across her vision. She buried her face in his neck, shuddering and mouthing wordless cries against his skin as he kept fucking her through it, every stroke sending electricity ripping through her when suddenly Thrawn _snarled_ , pounding into her one final time and burying himself to the hilt. She could feel his cock twitching inside her as he came, one hand holding her hips in place and the other wrapping around her back, crushing her against his chest as he shuddered and rocked beneath her. Her own orgasm _still_ hadn’t ended and she felt herself growing lightheaded as she struggled to breathe in his vice-like grip, and she distantly wondered if she was going to pass out before Thrawn finally went limp beneath her. 

Ziara slumped against him, chest heaving and ears ringing and thoughts a useless blur. She didn’t know how long they stayed like that, feeling Thrawn’s heart pound against her chest as their breathing slowly evened out, Thrawn’s cock growing soft inside her. She was vaguely aware of Thrawn rubbing soft circles against her back, and she gave a disgruntled groan as Thrawn gently shifted onto his side, pulling out and guiding her onto the sleeping pad.

“Blanket,” she heard him mutter, rising briefly and quickly returning, unfurling a thin camp-blanket over them.

“Mmm,” Ziara hummed contentedly as Thrawn curled up behind her, placing his bicep under her head and tangling their legs together. “Prepared,” she muttered with a sleepy giggle.

“Prepared,” Thrawn agreed. He pressed his lips to her shoulder, less a kiss and more a lingering promise, wrapping her up in his arms securely before burying his nose in her hair with a happy sigh and together, they drifted off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> probably gonna add a short epilogue, just to tidy the ending up!

**Author's Note:**

> I love how we get to see Ar’alani and Thrawn's friendship build in this new book. It's clear by Treason that they are close, and while I acknowledge one can be close friends with someone without sleeping with them, hey! It's okay for friends to do that! I plan to explore their relationship further in both the second chapter, and some follow up fics. I love these two so much!
> 
> Will it culminate in Ar’alani being best man at Thrawn and Eli's wedding? Maybe. Heh.


End file.
